Che Qian Zi -

Che Qian Zi - Plantago asiatica
		Professional Data

Pin Yin
Che Qian Zi

Latin
Semen Plantaginis

Introduction

Plantain seed is officially listed in the Chinese pharmacopoeia as the dried ripe seed of Plantago asiatica L. or Plantago depressa Willd. (Fam. Plantaginaceae). The fruit-spike is collected in summer and autumn when seed is ripe, and dried in the sun. The drug is rubbed out and removed from foreign matter. The herb has diuretic, expectorant, antitussive and antimicrobial actions.

Western medical

che qian zi is indicated in the treatment of edema, painful urination, dysuria, hematuria, urolithiasis, diarrhoea, diuresis and rheumatism, etc..

Eastern medical

Pattern: Benefits water, drains dampness: reduces edema. Clears heat, disperses phlegm.
Properties: Sweet flavor, cold.
Channels Entered: Liver, Kidney, Small Intestine & Lung Meridians.

Chemical constituents

Plantagin, aucubin, ursolic acid, ?-sitosterol, n-hentriacontane, and plantaglucide composed of methyl D-galacturonate, D-galactose, L-arabinose and L-rhamnose. Palmitic, stearic, arachidic, oleic, linolic acids.

Pharmacological actions

Diuretic action

The Plantago plant and its seeds are credited with diuretic actions. Experiments on dogs, rabbits and human beings showed that they could increase the excretion of water, urea, uric acid and sodium chloride.

Expectorant and Antitussive action

Intragastric administration of the herb decoction in anaesthetised cats increased intratracheal secretion, suggesting the presence of a significant expectorant action which peaked 3-6 hours after medication: drug action lasted for 6-7 hours.

Apart from promoting mucus secretion of the bronchi and trachea, plantagin depressed the respiratory centre, causing deep and slow respiration: it also had a definite antitussive action.

Antimicrobial action

The aqueus extract of the Plantago plant (1:4) had various degrees of inhibitory action against Trichophyton concentricum, Microsporum lanosum, and Nocardia asterodes in vitro.

The agar well experiment showed that Staphylococccus aureus was highly sensitive to this agent, Shigella sonnei moderately sensitive and Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhi slightly sensitive.

Gastrointestinal action

Plantaglucide obtained from the Plantago leaves could significantly decrease the formation of gastric ulcer in experimental rats.

Urological affect

Prescriptions containing the Plantago plant (15-30g) or its seeds (3-10g) are often employed to treat nephritis with oedema, chronic pylonephritis, dysureia and nephrolithiasis.

Clinical Studies

Respiratory tract infection

Antitussive and expectorant effects were obtained from the Plantago plant in upper respiratory tract infection, whooping cough and bronchitis. Plantago extract tablet (the daily dose corresponding to 30g of the crude drug) was given to 175 cases of chronic bronchitis who were over 50 years old, for 1-2 weeks: the aggregate effective rate was 77.7%.

Intestinal infection

Positive results were obtained in 63 children with dyspepsia treated with the Plantago seeds. The stool was normalized in 53 cases: frequent bowel movement was reduced in 6 cases while 4 cases were unchanged. A cure was achieved in 2.1 days on average. Dosage- The seeds were stirfried and crushed for oral administration. For infants 4-12 months old, 0.5g/dose; 1-2 years, 1g/dose, given 3-4 times daily.

References

Except those noted, all references come from Weng Weiliang, et al., Clinical Chinese materia medica, Henan Science & Technology Press, 1998